


My Only Wish

by henryhart



Category: Henry Danger (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, but it wasn't originally intended, it kinda could be interpreted that way, not really but just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 20:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16729983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/henryhart/pseuds/henryhart
Summary: Jasper's been in love with Henry for as long as he can remember. There's just one problem; he doesn't think Henry could ever love him back. When Henry gets a new girlfriend, Jasper decides he can't hold in his feelings anymore. But, will it blow up in his face?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cactus_con](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cactus_con/gifts).



> Despite the fact that this is 11,000+ words, the pacing still feels sort of rushed. I think this storyline would’ve been better and had more impact if I had done it as a multi-chapter slowburn but I just don’t have the time or patience for that right now asdlkfsdk Hopefully you guys still enjoy it regardless sldfksd A couple of things about this first part; the description of Luna is so cringey. I changed her appearance a million times, and no matter what it came out cringey so I just had to go for it lsdkfdk Anyway, I think that’s it for this first part. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

It was breezy, overcast autumn afternoon in Swellview, and Henry, Jasper, and Charlotte were currently making their way to the record store in the middle of town. It had been a slow day crime wise, so Ray told them they could be a little late getting to work; as long as they brought him Chinese takeout. Dead leaves swirled around them on the sidewalk as the wind picked up and Jasper shivered a little at the cold air. Henry stopped as he started to take off his jacket.

“Here,” he said as he threw it around Jasper’s shoulders, “I’m not that cold.” Henry started walking again, a little ahead of Jasper and Charlotte, so he didn’t notice the small smile on Jasper’s face or the way Jasper subtly sniffed his jacket. Charlotte, on the other hand,  _did_ notice, but she decided to keep her observations to herself for the time being.  

They reached the record store and Henry pulled the door open for his two friends. The bell on the door made a “ _ding_ ” sound as they stepped inside. It was a small store with only one worker working the cash register. There were rows upon rows of tables covered in old milk carts filled with vintage records. There were only two other customers in the store; an older gentleman that looked like he had just stepped out of a rock band from the ‘70s and a young girl around Henry’s age. Henry was immediately enchanted by her the moment he walked through the door. She had her long brunette hair in a messy bun, and she was wearing a black velvet choker and rings on almost every finger. Her jeans were ripped in several places and she had on black leather boots that matched her leather jacket. Henry slowly approached her, and she turned and smiled at him when he got near. Henry instantly took note of how adorable her dimples were and how her entire face would light up when she smiled.  

“Uhh, hi,” he said sort of awkwardly, “I’m Henry.” The girl tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hi, I’m Luna,” she responded her voice smooth and sweet sounding. Henry swallowed hard. He couldn’t believe how captivated he was by this girl that he literally just met.

“Uhh…I really like your shirt,” Henry said after a moment. The girl pulled the edges of her leather jacket apart to reveal more of the white Rolling Stones shirt she was wearing underneath.

“Thank you!” she responded, her brown eyes sparkling. They stood in an awkward silence for a while. Henry glanced down at the floor for a moment but Luna just continued to watch him. She could tell he was trying to flirt with her but she wasn’t gonna make it easy for him.

“So, do you like the Rolling Stones?” he asked. Luna let out a soft chuckle.

“Well, I’m wearing their shirt so…” Henry took a deep breath.

“Right.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the store, Jasper had taken notice of Henry and the new girl, and his jaw clenched as he frowned. Charlotte looked up from the record she was looking at and when she caught sight of Jasper’s sour face she brought her eyebrows together and the corners of her lips turned down slightly.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked. Jasper turned to Charlotte, unaware that she had been looking at him. He immediately tried to change his demeanor.

“Nothing, why do you ask?” Charlotte’s forehead creased as her frown deepened.

“Because you just looked like someone destroyed your bucket collection. What happened?” Jasper frantically tried to think of a viable excuse.

“I…uhh…just remembered something that happened in class today. That’s all,” he stuttered out as he went back to sorting through the records in front of him. Charlotte was obviously unconvinced. She looked over to where Jasper had been staring, but all she saw was Henry flirting with a pretty girl. She turned back to Jasper, confusion etched across her face, and Jasper could feel her eyes boring into him. He tried to focus on the records in front of him, silently praying that she didn’t press the matter. To Jasper’s relief, she didn’t. She just went back to looking at the records in front of her. Jasper continued to watch Henry out of the corner of his eye, more subtly now, so as not to raise any more suspicion with Charlotte. After what felt like hours to Jasper (when in reality it had only been about twenty minutes) Henry finally said goodbye to the girl and made his way back over to his friends, practically beaming. He threw his hands down onto a milk crate in front of him as he addressed the two of them.

“Guess who just scored a date for Friday night?” he announced excitedly. Charlotte’s lips curled into a cheerful smile.

“Really?! That’s awesome!” she exclaimed as she held up her hand for Henry to high five it.

“I know right?!” Henry said as he high fived her. He then turned his attention to Jasper and his smile immediately faded when he saw the gloom in Jasper’s eyes.

“Jasper, dude, are you alright?” he asked, concerned. Jasper caught Henry’s gaze as he forced a smile. Charlotte watched him again, noticing that he was faking that smile, and the wheels starting turning in her head.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine! Sorry, I was thinking about something else. Congratulations, man, I’m excited for you,” Jasper responded, trying his best to fake enthusiasm. In all honesty, he was anything _but_ enthused. Actually, he was a little heartbroken. Luckily, Henry didn’t notice that Jasper’s enthusiasm was fake, and his excitement promptly returned. As much as it hurt Jasper that he wasn’t the source of Henry’s happiness, he still sort of loved seeing him this way. He was always adorable when he got this jubilant; it kind of reminded Jasper of an overjoyed puppy dog.

“So, I’ll be a little late on Friday, but you can still come over and just hang out at my house until I get back if you want. My parents are going to some charity auction thing, so you’ll pretty much have the house to yourself. Piper might be there, but I doubt it,” Henry said. Jasper just nodded in response. Lately, Jasper had started spending almost every weekend at Henry’s house, to the point where it just became their thing. Henry’s parents didn’t mind much; in fact, Siren Hart sort of enjoyed having a house guest she could spoil. It had pretty much gotten to the point where she was treating him like a second son.

Henry looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was almost time for them to be at work.

“Hey, we gotta go, it’s almost four,” he announced. Jasper and Charlotte both nodded as they followed Henry out the door.

* * *

 

Friday night had rolled around, and Jasper was presently sitting at Henry’s kitchen table with Piper, waiting for Henry to get back from his date, while Piper painted his nails a pretty ocean blue color. Henry walked through the front door and threw his keys down on the coffee table, frowning when he caught sight of his sister and his best friend.

“What are you doing?” he questioned. Piper stopped what she was doing for a second and looked up at him incredulously.

“What does it _look_ like we’re doing?” she said brazenly. Henry pressed his lips together as he pulled the chair out next to Jasper and sat down.

“I just meant what are you doing _here_? I figured you’d be out with your friends,” he said, addressing Piper.

“All my friends are busy tonight. It even got to the point where I tried to call Jana Tetrazzini, but she was busy too,” Piper responded without looking up. Henry turned his attention to Jasper.

“That’s a nice color on you. Matches your eyes,” Henry said, a hint of a teasing tone in his voice.

“Are you making fun of me?” Jasper asked, fake annoyance dripping from his voice. The corners of Henry’s mouth turned up slightly.

“No, I’m being serious. It really does match your eyes,” he replied, trying clearly not to laugh. Jasper gave Henry a wry smile while he used his free hand to reach over and playfully punch Henry in the arm. Henry laughed as he dodged Jasper’s fist, but he didn’t move quickly enough.

“Ow,” Henry said, smiling, as he reached up to rub the spot where Jasper had hit him, even though Jasper didn’t actually hit him hard enough to hurt him. “I’m just kidding around. I actually do like it,” Henry said more seriously now. Jasper just smiled a little as he tried not to blush.

“So, how was your date?” Jasper asked, knowing full well he didn’t wanna know the answer.

“Oh, it was amazing!” Henry said as his eyes started sparkling. Jasper felt his heart sink into his stomach, but he tried to make sure his expression remained unchanged. “Luna is the best. She’s so cool…she’s been all over the world and she drives a motorcycle.” Piper whipped her head up to look at her brother.

“You rode a motorcycle?!” she asked, obviously surprised. Henry shook his head as he put his arms down on the table and leaned forward.

“Not tonight. I went to pick her up and I saw it in her driveway,” he answered. “She’s gonna pick me up when we go out next week though, so I’ll get to ride it then.” Piper’s entire face lit up.

“Can I ride it?!” she asked excitedly. Henry furrowed his eyebrows as he frowned.

“Hell no! If mom and dad find out I let you ride a motorcycle, they’ll kill me.”

“Perfect, I get to ride a motorcycle and you get it trouble?! Two birds with one stone,” Piper replied. Henry shot her a look of contempt. Piper’s expression went from excitement to disappointment as she went back to painting Jasper’s nails.

“What did you mean, ‘not tonight’?” Jasper asked quizzically as he narrowed his eyes at Henry. Henry shrugged as he hooked his feet around the chair legs.

“I mean I didn’t ride a motorcycle t _onight_ ,” he answered, putting emphasis on the word tonight. Piper finished the last nail on Jasper’s hand, and she put the brush back in the nail polish bottle before closing it and turning her attention to her brother.

“Are you implying that you have ridden a motorcycle before? Who do you even know that has one?” Jasper pressed.

“Ray,” Henry answered simply.

“What?! And he let you ride it?!” Jasper exclaimed, clearly surprised.

“He may or may not know about it,” Henry said as he looked down and started fiddling with his jacket cuff.

“Oh, you know he’ll kill you if he ever finds out,” Jasper responded.

“Well, that’s why that information isn’t leaving this room,” Henry said as he shot a look at Piper. Piper just ignored him.

“Wait,” Piper started, her eyes narrowed and her forehead creased, “I’ve heard you mention riding in your boss’s van, truck, RV, and now motorcycle? Doesn’t he run a junk shop that barely has any customers? How is he affording all these vehicles?” she demanded. Henry and Jasper exchanged nervous glances. Henry swallowed hard as he tried to come up with a believable excuse.

“Trust fund,” he answered simply. Piper continued to eye him for a moment, and Henry was sure that she knew he was lying. Finally, her expression softened and she just shrugged.

“Okay,” she replied. Henry let out a silent sigh of relief. He jammed his hands into his jacket pockets as he turned towards Jasper.

“C’mon, let’s go to my room,” he said as he gestured towards the stairs. Jasper nodded in response, and the two boys stood up to leave but Piper held her hand up to stop them.

“No, please don’t leave me, I’m so bored,” she pleaded.

“I’m gonna tell Jasper about my date,” Henry warned, “Do you really wanna hear about that?” Piper stuck her tongue out in disgust.

“Ew, gross. No. Just go,” she said as she waved her hand at them to go. An amused smile spread across Henry’s face as he led Jasper up to his room. Jasper looked back at her, a solemn expression on his face. In all honesty, he would much rather hang out with Piper than listen to Henry drone on about how perfect and amazing Luna is.

Henry threw himself down on his bed while Jasper sat down on the landing at the top of the stairs that led to Henry’s bedroom window. Jasper than had to endure Henry gushing about Luna for the next forty-five minutes. As Henry was talking, Jasper tried to make sure his expression remained unchanged, even though it felt like his heart was getting ripped out and stomped on right in front of him. Despite this, he tried to remind himself that this happened with Henry a lot. He would develop a crush on a girl, go on a few dates with her and that would be it. So, really, what was Jasper so worried about? This would all be over in a few weeks anyway.

At least, Jasper hoped.

* * *

To Jasper’s dismay, that’s definitely not what happened. In fact, it had been exactly four months now, and Henry and Luna were as strong as ever. They spent every weekend together, and they would always meet each other before and after class. Really, the only time they weren’t together was when Henry was in class, working, or asleep.

Which meant these last four months had been absolute hell for Jasper. Since Henry was his best friend, Henry was always inadvertently throwing his relationship in Jasper’s face. Jasper would have to watch them be lovey-dovey before and after class. Henry was often gushing about her during their Friday night sleepovers. Actually, lately, that was the _only_ thing he would talk about. Even when Jasper tried to change the subject, it would somehow circle back to Luna. On top of that, oftentimes Henry would be down in the Man Cave talking to her on the phone. Jasper did his best to conceal his heartbreak, and luckily Henry was too blind by his infatuation to notice. Charlotte, on the other hand, wasn’t so oblivious, and Jasper knew that he was gonna have to talk to her about this stuff soon.

Jasper, Charlotte, Henry, and Ray were currently down in the Man Cave and Henry was on another one his daily phone calls with Luna. Ray, Jasper, and Char had been listening to them gush to each other for about an hour now and they were all getting a little exhausted.

“Okay, babe, I’ll talk to you later then,” they heard Henry say into the phone, and the trio took a collective sigh of relief. “No you hang up first,” Henry cooed, and Jasper, Charlotte, and Ray all threw their heads back in exasperation as they groaned. “No, you hang up first!” Henry continued. The trio shared a look as Henry repeated the same line over and over. Finally, after about a minute, Ray got up, silently made his way over to Henry, took Henry’s phone from his hand and snapped it in half over his knee while he handed it back to Henry. Henry’s jaw fell open as he looked down at his phone, which was now in two.

“How about I hang up for the both of you?” Ray said as he sat back down on the stairs leading up to the door shaped like a gear. Henry continued to stare at his phone in shock for a minute before he turned his gaze onto Ray.

“You could’ve just pressed the BUTTON!” Henry bellowed.

“Yeah, and you could’ve just hung up the phone,” Ray said calmly, clearly unfazed by Henry’s outburst. Henry shot daggers at Ray for a second, but Ray just ignored him. Finally, Henry whirled around to look at Jasper.

“Jasper, let me use your phone. I need to call her back or she’s gonna get upset with me,” Henry said. Jasper instinctively pulled his phone away from Henry.

“No way! You’ll just start the same spiel and then Ray will end up breaking _my_ phone!” Jasper snapped.

“That’s right I will,” Ray declared as he raised his eyebrows and pointed at Henry and Jasper. Henry turned around to face Charlotte now.

“Charlotte?”

“Nope,” Charlotte stated simply. Henry rolled his eyes as he got up and started towards the elevator.

“Fine, I’ll go use the phone in Junk n’ Stuff,” he said as the doors slid open. He stepped inside and turned around to face his friends. “You guys are the worst,” he added as the doors slid shut again. Ray and Charlotte got up to join Jasper on the rotating couch and Ray put his elbows on the table as he pulled both hands down his face.  

“Is anybody else getting really tired of that relationship? I mean, I’m happy he’s happy but if I have to hear ‘No, you hang up first!’ one more time, I’m gonna snap,” Ray declared.

“That wasn’t you snapping?” Jasper asked in disbelief. Ray turned to Jasper, a slightly threatening look on his face.

“Oh no. You’ll know when I snap,” Ray said a little menacingly. Charlotte and Jasper just exchanged looks.

“At least you don’t have to go to school with the two of them,” Jasper replied, annoyance dripping from his voice. Ray shuddered a little at the thought.

“I bet that’s a nightmare,” he responded.

“Oh, c’mon guys. It’s just new and exciting for him, give him a break. The novelty will wear off eventually and then things will calm down a bit,” Charlotte said. Jasper and Ray both looked at Charlotte.

“Are you saying that doesn’t bother you?” Ray asked, skepticism in his voice.

“Oh, no. It annoys the hell out me. But, he’s my friend and I know she makes him happy, so I just grin and bear it,” Charlotte replied.

“Well, you’re a bigger person than I am,” Ray said.

“Yeah, that’s obvious,” Charlotte mumbled. Ray’s mouth opened slightly as he shot her a mildly offended look, but she just glared at him, almost daring him to disagree with her, and he begrudgingly backed down. Just then, they heard the elevator screech to a halt at the bottom and ding and a second later, Henry emerged from behind the sliding doors. As soon as Henry stepped foot back in the Man Cave, the alarm went off, signaling an emergency. The four of them shot up to check the monitors.

“There’s a robbery in progress as Schneider’s Bakery. C’mon, Ray, let’s go,” Henry said, as he quickly made his way over to the tubes.

“Right behind you,” Ray said as he pulled his tube of gumballs out of his pocket. Ray and Henry both popped a bubble and immediately transformed into their Captain Man and Kid Danger uniforms. They both stepped under the tubes and pressed the buttons on their belts.

“Hey, Jasper, I’m craving a pizza. Go get one from that pizza place I like downtown,” Ray said as the tube came down around him.

“On it!” Jasper called out as Henry and Ray both disappeared up the tubes. Jasper started towards the elevator, but Charlotte stopped him.

“Can you hang on a second, Jasp?” she asked. Jasper turned on his heel to face her again.

“Yeah, what’s up?” he responded. Charlotte sat down on the rotating couch and she gestured for Jasper to join her. She decided to take advantage of the fact that Henry and Ray were out on a job and the Man Cave was empty to finally talk to Jasper about what had been bothering him all these months. Jasper sat down across from her as he met her gaze. Charlotte took a deep breath before continuing.

“I’m just…a little concerned about you. You seem like you’ve been really down lately. Is everything okay?” she questioned, worry etched all over her face. Jasper frowned a little as he tilted his head to one side.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. He could tell from Charlotte’s expression that she wasn’t buying it.

“Are you sure? It just seems like something is really bothering you,” she continued. “Maybe something that has to do with Henry,” she added. Jasper exhaled sharply as he continued to watch her.

“What do you mean?” he responded as he narrowed his eyes at her. His heart started to pound in his chest. Did she know?

“It just seems like whenever Henry is around you start to get kinda upset,” she replied quietly. Jasper just looked at her.

“Well, I don’t know what you mean. Everything is fine between Henry and me, and nothing is upsetting me,” Jasper insisted. Charlotte stayed silent.

“Okay, if you insist,” she replied. “But, if something is bothering you, you know you can tell me, right? I mean, you’re my best friend. I’m always here for you.”

Jasper looked down at the ground for a minute before he met her gaze again, his expression now completely serious.

“Okay, I’ll tell you but I need you to promise me that you’ll keep it a secret.” Charlotte leaned forward a little as she nodded.

“Of course. You know that your secret is always safe with me,” she answered. Jasper shut his eyes for a second as he swallowed hard.

I think…” he started, but he trailed off as he tried to brace himself to say the words. “God, if I say it out loud it suddenly becomes real,” he mumbled more to himself than Charlotte. Charlotte reached her hand across the table and gently placed it over Jasper’s. Jasper blew air out of his cheeks as he used his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I think I might be in love with Henry,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Charlotte was physically taken aback from Jasper’s revelation and she blinked a few times as she watched him. She was expecting Jasper to say that he might have a crush or something, but she really wasn’t prepared for him to use the L-word.

“Oh,” she said. As everything began to sink in, Charlotte started to realize how Jasper must have been feeling all this time watching Henry and Luna. “ _Oh_ ,” she breathed, “Jasper.” Her expression was now entirely sympathetic and she stood up to go sit beside her friend. She put an arm around his shoulder and he leaned into her as he looked down at his lap. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what these past four months have been like for you,” she said. Jasper just looked up at her and she was almost sure she could see tears brimming in his eyes.

“It’s been absolute torture,” he muttered. Charlotte just pulled Jasper into a hug and he just held onto his friend for a moment as he allowed himself to feel all the sorrow and heartbreak he had been suppressing for so long. Charlotte gripped onto him as she rubbed his back, doing whatever she could to comfort him. After Jasper had calmed down a little, he let go and they just sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. Charlotte reached out and took his hand in hers for comfort. Finally, Charlotte spoke again.

“Have you ever thought about telling him how you feel?” Jasper exhaled sharply. He thought back to all the sleepless nights at Henry’s place where he would lie awake, trying to get up the nerve to tell him how he felt. But, somehow, he could never find the words.

“Only a thousand times. I just can never bring myself to do it. I’m not brave enough. I’m too afraid it’s gonna ruin our friendship, and I don’t think I can handle that.” Charlotte knitted her eyebrows together.

“You really think Henry would let it ruin your friendship like that?” she inquired. Jasper bit his lower lip in thought.

“Maybe not. But, it would at the very least change things, and I’m not really ready for that either.” Charlotte just nodded in response. The duo stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, Charlotte keeping her arm around Jasper in an attempt to comfort him. Eventually, they heard the tubes come down and a few seconds later Henry and Ray emerged from them, still in their Captain Man and Kid Danger costumes. Henry and Ray both started towards the two of them. Henry frowned a little when he caught sight of them.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked. Charlotte took her arm off of Jasper’s shoulder and Jasper used his jacket sleeve to wipe off his face, trying his best to conceal the fact that he had just been crying a little while ago.

“Nothing, we’re just talking. How was the mission?” Charlotte asked, hoping she could distract Henry enough to drop the subject of her and Jasper. Henry eyed them for a moment before answering. He wasn’t really sure why seeing the two of them cozying up together bothered him, but it did.

“It was fine. We stopped the robbery and caught the thieves no sweat,” he said simply, still watching the two of them with a slightly disapproving look on his face. Charlotte just nodded in response. Henry moved to sit on the back of the couch across from the two of them.

“Hey, where’s my pizza?” Ray said as he noticed that his pizza was nowhere to be found. Jasper sat up a little as he looked at Ray.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot about it,” he said sheepishly. Ray closed his eyes as he sighed loudly.

“Jasper, I asked you to do one thing,” he started, but Charlotte cut him off.

“Forget about your pizza, Ray,” she said menacingly, as she shot him a dark look. Ray frowned obviously wanting to put up a fight, but he ultimately decided to back down.

“Fine, I’ll go get it myself,” he said through gritted teeth. He started back up to the stairs to the tubes and popped a gumball to change back into his civilian clothes before disappearing up the tubes once again, mumbling something about Jasper and how he had to do everything himself. Henry watched his friends for a moment, a little confused over what had just happened and why Charlotte seemed so protective of Jasper suddenly, but he decided not to press the matter.

“So, are you guys coming to my parents’ Christmas party this weekend?” he asked, changing the subject.  

“Yeah, for sure!” Charlotte answered. Henry turned his attention to Jasper.

“What about you, Jasp?” Jasper sat up a little as he met Henry’s gaze.

“Oh, uhhh…I’m not sure if I’m gonna be able to make it.” Henry’s face fell a little.

“But, you have to come. It won’t be a party without you there. Besides, I was really hoping you guys would be able to hang out with Luna for a bit.” Jasper and Charlotte exchanged looks.

“I don’t know…” Jasper responded. Henry pulled out his best puppy dog eyes as he leaned in closer to Jasper.

“Please, Jasp? For me?” he pleaded. Jasper exhaled sharply. As much as he wanted too, he couldn’t resist Henry’s puppy dog eyes.

“Alright. Why not?” Jasper said in defeat. A wide smile spread across Henry’s face.

“Excellent! It’s gonna be a really special night,” he said, a sly grin on his face. Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows as she met Henry’s gaze.

“And why is that?” she questioned. Henry’s smile grew wide.

“I’m gonna tell Luna that I love her.” Jasper felt like he had just been punched in the gut, but he did his best to hide his anguish. “I bought her this silver necklace that’s a heart and a key, you know like the ‘key to my heart’ thing, and I’m gonna give it to her right before I tell her at the Christmas party this weekend. What do you think? Too cheesy?” Jasper and Charlotte exchanged solemn glances and Henry’s smile faded.

“Guys, what is it? You look like I just issued a death sentence…” Henry said, trailing off. Charlotte shook her head a little as she did her best to look excited for her friend.

“Sorry, Henry, we were just surprised at first. You haven’t said that to anyone before so we just had to process, right Jasper?” she said as she shot Jasper a look. Jasper plastered on his best fake smile as he looked at Henry.

“Right,” he responded.

“But, now we’ve processed it and we think it’s great! And, it is totally is cheesy, but in a good way. It’ll be cute… romantic,” Charlotte said. Henry’s smile returned once again. Jasper took a deep breath as he stood up. His head was reeling and he was almost certain that he might throw up.

“You know what? I just realized that no one is manning the cash register upstairs, so I better go,” he said as he made his way to the elevator. Henry frowned as he watched him go.

“Jasp, wait. What’s wrong?” Henry called after him, but Jasper ignored him as he climbed into the elevator, with the doors sliding shut behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with the second and final part! I hope the scene with Jasper and Derek ends up making sense. It’s one of those things where I knew what I wanted to say in my head but I had a hard time articulating it into words; so hopefully it makes sense sasldkfskdf Also, the scene with Henry and Jasper, in the end, feels sort of rushed, but I’ve rewritten it about a thousand times and I can’t find a good balance, so I’m just gonna stick with the scene I have now asldfkds. There is a scene in here where Ray is talking about Jasper and I s2g if any of you try to imply that it’s romantic in any way I will come to your house and break your kneecaps. With that, I hope you enjoy this second part and let me know what you think!!!

The day of the Christmas party arrived, and Jasper and Charlotte were currently standing on the Hart’s front porch, as Jasper prepared himself to go inside and face Henry and Luna.   **  
**

“Ready?” Charlotte asked as she reached out and squeezed his hand for a second. Jasper took a deep breath as he nodded. Charlotte hit the doorbell, and a few seconds later the door swung open to reveal Mrs. Hart smiling warmly at them, holding a tray of fresh-baked Christmas cookies.

“Charlotte! Jasper! Come in, come in!” she said cheerfully as she held the door open for them. Once they were inside, she shut the door behind them and held the tray up to each of them. “Cookie?” Jasper and Charlotte both nodded and thanked her as they took one. “Make yourselves at home, guys,” Mrs. Hart said as she made her way back into the crowd. The house was already bustling with a lot of the Hart’s neighbors along with longtime friends and coworkers. The house was entirely decked out in Christmas decorations, and the whole room smelled like cinnamon and sugar cookies. Siren Hart always had a way of making her home feel warm and inviting.

Jasper and Charlotte both noticed Henry sitting at the kitchen table with his arm around Luna. They were sitting so close together, they were practically sitting on each others’ laps, and Henry was currently whispering something in Luna’s ear while she laughed.

“Yep, so glad I came to this,” Jasper sneered. Charlotte just gave him a sympathetic look as she led him into the party. Henry soon caught sight of them and he waved them over. Luna smiled at them as they sat down across from her and Henry.

“Jasper, Charlotte! I’m so happy to finally get to spend some time with you guys. Henry talks so much about you, I’m surprised he hasn’t facilitated this little get together sooner,” she said.

“Yeah, tragic, isn’t it?” Jasper mumbled sarcastically. Charlotte elbowed him under the table and Jasper jumped a little at the jab. Henry and Luna both frowned at the two of them, but Charlotte, desperate to change the subject, smiled at Luna.

“So, Luna! Henry tells us you’ve traveled a lot…care to share any of your adventures?” she asked. Luna glanced at Henry, who gestured for her to go ahead, and she met Charlotte’s gaze as she launched into one of her stories about Paris, or Milan or one of those places. Jasper wasn’t really listening to a word she was saying. He was too busy watching how affectionate Luna and Henry were with each other. The way Henry would rub her back every once in a while, or the way she would pause in the middle of her story to look at him; how they would look deep into each others’ eyes, or the way, when they were holding hands, Henry would kinda play with her fingers or rub the back of her hand with his thumb. Jasper couldn’t help but daydream a little about what it must be like to be in her place, and he could feel his heart physically aching. Henry eventually noticed Jasper’s vacant stare, and he tilted his head a little as he frowned.

“Earth to Jasper,” he said as he waved a hand in front of Jasper’s face. Jasper snapped out of his daydream as he caught Henry’s gaze.

“Huh?”

“You alright?” Henry inquired. Jasper nodded a little.

“Oh, uhh. Yeah. Sorry,” he replied as he stood up. “I’m gonna get a drink does anyone want anything?” Without waiting for anyone to answer, he made his way over to the counter and grabbed a glass of eggnog that had been sitting on a tray.

“Jasper, wait, I thought you didn’t like-” Henry started, but before he could finish his sentence, Jasper had already downed half of it. Henry furrowed his eyebrows and frowned at his friend. “Dude, I thought you hated eggnog?” Henry asked as he watched his friend with a puzzled expression. Jasper chugged the rest of it before picking up another one.

“I don’t tonight,” he answered simply before he went to mingle with literally anyone other than Henry and Luna. Henry just watched him for a moment, bewildered. Jasper had been acting weirder than usual, but this took the cake. He was really starting to worry about his friend.

After Jasper had finished a few eggnogs, he was starting to feel a little brave, and he decided that Henry wasn’t the only one who deserved to have some fun at this party. He found an attractive boy around his age mingling by the staircase, and immediately made his way over to him, giving the boy his best flirtatious smile.

“Hey, I’m Jasper,” he said. The boy took in the sight of Jasper for a moment before he gave him a coy smile.  
Hey, Jasper, I’m Derek.”

* * *

Jasper then spent the next two hours doing his best to focus on Derek, but his attention kept going back to Henry and Luna. It was killing him seeing them cozied up together. Derek eventually took notice of this.

“Hey, Jasper, are you alright? You seem really distant,” Derek asked, as he looked at Jasper with concern. Jasper mentally cursed to himself. Here he was, sitting on the staircase with a cute boy that was clearly showing interest in him, and all he could think about and pay attention to was Henry. Jasper sighed heavily.

“Yeah,” he started out slowly as he glanced down at his feet. “It’s just-”

“Another guy?” Derek interjected. Jasper looked up and met his gaze.

“How’d you know?”

“I’ve been there,” Derek said as he leaned back on the stair behind him. “So what is it? Is he straight?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Then what is it? What’s stopping you two from being together?”

“I don’t think he feels the same way.”

“Have you asked him? Or told him how you felt?” Jasper looked down at his feet again.

“No. I always chicken out.”

“And why is that?” Derek pressed.

“Well, he’s my best friend. I mean, if I tell him that and he doesn’t feel the same way, I risk ruining our friendship. I don’t think I could handle that,” Jasper responded quietly.

“He’s your best friend, huh?” Derek said as he looked down at the ground for a second and bit his lower lip, “how long have you two been friends?” Jasper raised his eyebrows as he looked straight ahead, blowing air out of his cheeks.

“Years. I’ve known him almost my entire life,” Jasper answered. Derek nodded as he brought his eyebrows together.

“So, you really think if you tell this guy how you feel, he’d be willing to give up your lifelong friendship just because he doesn’t happen to feel the same way?” Jasper smiled a little.

“That’s what Charlotte said,” he said, “our mutual best friend,” he added when he saw the quizzical look on Derek’s face.

“She sounds like a smart girl,” Derek replied. A half-smile spread across Jasper’s face.

“She’s very smart. Way smarter than any of us.” Derek smiled at that. The pair stayed silent for a little while.

“It’s not just that…” Jasper said finally. “It’s just,” he started as he turned his body a little towards Derek’s. “He’s my best friend, right? So, wouldn’t I know if he viewed me that way? Like, it seems like he could never have any romantic interest in me at all, and if he did have any, wouldn’t I know about it?” Derek pursed his lips as he thought it over for a minute.

“Well, first of all, no, because sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us,” he began as he sat up a little straighter, “Secondly, you guys are best friends, right? So, you have a best friend dynamic. It might be that he’s just used to that dynamic and he’s never had a reason to think about it in any other context. Telling him how you feel might get him to think about your relationship differently, and you might even end up surprised. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Jasper mulled over Derek’s words for a moment.

“No,” Jasper answered simply. Derek chuckled a little.

“Okay, think back to when you first thought you might like this guy. Do you remember what happened? Like, what events transpired that made you think, ‘hey, wait…I might actually have a crush on this guy’?” Jasper smiled fondly as he thought back to the first time he realized he liked Henry.

“Yeah, I remember,” Jasper recounted. “It was a lazy summer afternoon, and we were just lounging on his front porch. I remember I was watching him, he just seemed so peaceful. But then we heard the ice cream truck.” Derek watched as Jasper’s eyes twinkled as he reminisced about that day. “He jumped up and his whole face lit up. He started to chase down the truck, but he stopped dead in his tracks and pulled out his wallet and counted his money, making sure he had enough for both of us before he went to get the ice cream. I mean, I had the money for it, but he didn’t even ask. He made sure he had enough for us both before he decided to get any. And we were just kids at the time…when you’re a kid and you’re chasing down the ice cream truck, you don’t stop to think about if you can pay for your friends too. You might ask them if they have the money, but paying for them yourself isn’t really an automatic response. I think it was that simple act of kindness that made me think ‘hey, I think I might love this guy.’” Jasper explained. Derek smiled a little at Jasper’s story.

“See? _That’s_ what I mean,” he said. Jasper just gave him a curious look. “It’s like this; up until that point, you had only ever viewed your relationship with this guy as purely platonic. You’re best friends, you have a best friend dynamic, that’s it, right? But, then the ice cream truck thing happened, and it made this sort of switch go off in your brain that made you realize you might like this guy as something more than a friend. So, my point is, it might just be that this guy hasn’t had that event yet. There hasn’t been something to make that switch go off for him to realize that he actually likes you as something more than just a friend.”

“We’ve been friends for years, though. If he was gonna have that moment, don’t you think he would’ve had it by now? I mean, don’t you think he would’ve realized?” Jasper inquired. A knowing smile spread across Derek’s lips.

“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, Jasper,” he said he leaned back on his elbow, turning his body towards Jasper a little. “Men…are idiots.” This earned a toothy grin from Jasper as he chuckled. “We’re just positively  _clueless_  sometimes,” Derek said with a wide smile, his eyes gleaming at Jasper. He was clearly still into him despite the fact that Jasper had just revealed that he was pretty much in love with someone else. “I’m glad I got you to smile a little. You should smile more, you have a nice smile,” Derek said as he gently nudged Jasper. Jasper blushed as he looked down at his feet. He wanted nothing more than to just forget about Henry and be able to show interest in this guy that was right in front of him, but something deep down inside him wouldn’t allow it.

“So, you think me telling this guy would be the event that causes him to realize he might have feelings for me?” Jasper questioned.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Derek said as he shrugged.  

* * *

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Henry had noticed Jasper smiling and seemingly flirting with some guy on the staircase, and he was watching them with a grumpy look. Charlotte walked by after a second and Henry grabbed on to her elbow.   
“Hey, who is that guy Jasper’s with?” he asked her as he pointed towards Jasper on the staircase. Jasper laughed at something the guy said and Henry immediately felt a twinge of distress about it, although he couldn’t really pinpoint  _why_. Charlotte looked over to where Henry had pointed.  
“Oh. I don’t know who that is. He’s cute though,” Charlotte said before she shrugged and went back to what she was doing. Henry frowned at her cute comment as he continued to watch the pair, a pit forming in his stomach. Luna walked up beside him, smiling, but her smile faded when she saw the dark expression on his face.

“What’s wrong, babe?” she asked as she nudged his side. Henry seemed to snap out of his train of thought as he looked down at her.

“Oh, uhh…nothing. I was just trying to figure out who that guy is that’s Jasper’s with,” he responded. They both looked in the direction of Jasper and Henry’s bitter expression returned. Luna looked from her boyfriend to Jasper and back again.

“Gee, Henry, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous,” Luna said jokingly, as a wide smile spread across her face. Henry looked down at the ground for a minute, his expression unchanged, and Luna’s smile vanished. She blinked for a minute as she frowned. “ _Are_  you jealous?” she asked softly. Henry swallowed hard. In all honesty, he didn’t really know. But, he certainly felt  _something_. He put on a fake smile as he looked at her.

“Of course not,” he responded finally as he shook his head, “I just worry about him, that’s all.” Luna continued to eye him, frowning. She wasn’t entirely convinced. Henry could tell she was getting upset, so he tried to think of something to get her mind off of it.

“You know what? I have something for you,” he said, grinning, “just give me one second, I gotta go get it.” He started towards his room, and he stopped on the stairs when he was right in front of Jasper and his mystery date.   
“Hey, Jasper,” he said with a smile. “Jasper’s friend,” he said, a bit of an edge to his voice, as he gave Derek a somewhat dirty look. He excused himself as he squeezed through the pair and disappeared back up towards his room. Derek drew his eyebrows together as he looked at Jasper.   
“What was that about?” Derek asked.

“He’s gonna tell her,” Jasper mumbled to himself, panic dripping from his voice.

“Tell who what?” Derek interrogated, but Jasper ignored him as he stared wide-eyed up the stairs.

“That was him, and I gotta go!” Jasper said as he shot up, urgency dripping from his voice. Derek blinked rapidly as he watched Jasper take the remaining stairs two at a time.

“Wait,  _that_  was him?!” he called after Jasper, but Jasper had already vanished up the stairs.

* * *

 

Henry started rummaging through his drawers, looking for the necklace he bought Luna, but he turned when he heard his bedroom door shut.

“Oh, hey, Jasper. What’s up?” he asked as he continued rummaging through his stuff. Jasper took a few steps towards Henry as he tried to regulate his breathing. Henry eventually found the necklace and he shut his drawer as he turned to face Jasper.

“Henry, can we talk?” Jasper asked.

“Can it wait? I really wanna do this before I lose my nerve,” Henry replied as pushed past Jasper a little and reached for the doorknob.

“No, I need to do this before  _I_  lose  _my_  nerve,” Jasper responded. Henry whirled around slowly, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Okay…” he said, “what is it?” Jasper took a deep breath as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to brace himself to just come out and say it. He could feel himself getting dizzy and he tried to steady himself.

“IthinkImightbeinlovewithyou!” he blurted out before opening his eyes again. Henry was watching him with a blank expression. He stared at Jasper, completely expressionless, for what felt like hours to Jasper. After a few moments, he started to laugh.

“Oh, this is a joke! Okay,” he said, chuckling. His smile faded a little as he furrowed his eyebrows again. “I don’t get it, though.” Jasper glanced down at the floor for a second before he shook his head.

“It’s not a joke,” he said softly, as he looked up to meet Henry’s gaze again. Henry’s smile faded completely now, and his forehead creased as he continued to eye Jasper. Jasper was sure he was gonna vomit at any second. Henry remained silent for a long time, and a part of Jasper was hoping he would just drop dead on the spot.

“What?” Henry finally breathed, as he narrowed his eyes at Jasper. “You were just downstairs flirting with some dude, and now you’re telling me that you might be in love with me?” Jasper took a step towards Henry, but Henry took a step back.

“First of all, I wasn’t flirting with him, he was flirting with me. Secondly, the only thing we talked about was you.” Jasper responded. Henry blinked a little, trying to process what Jasper was saying.

“I….what….when?” Henry stuttered out. His mind was reeling and now he felt dizzy. Jasper took another deep breath.  

“I don’t know, I just…it’s been a long time. Maybe even since we were kids. I just..I had to tell you…before you told her…” Jasper said, trailing off. Henry looked down at the floor for a moment, and Jasper could tell from the expression on his face that Henry was upset. Henry looked up at Jasper again, and now Jasper could tell he was angry.

“Now? Really? You say you’ve felt this way potentially since we were kids, and you’ve had  _all this time_ you could’ve told me, but you chose  _now_?” Henry responded, his tone biting. Jasper swallowed hard as he tried to push back the tears that were starting to brim in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“I’m with Luna, and I’m happy. Why are you trying to ruin that?” Henry snapped.

“I’m not! I just-” Jasper said his voice breaking. He started to reach out to grab Henry’s wrist, but Henry pulled away quickly before he could. Henry held out a hand to stop him.

“I need air,” Henry said before he stormed out the door and slammed it behind him.

* * *

 

The next few weeks, Jasper did his best to avoid Henry. If he saw him coming in the hallway, he would go in the opposite direction. He switched places with a few of his classmates so he could sit on the other side of the room in the classes they shared. He would quickly make his way out in the end so Henry couldn’t corner him (though he tried). Jasper had even been calling in sick to work. He just wasn’t ready to face Henry after what happened. He felt embarrassed and rejected, and he wasn’t ready to face that humiliation again.

Henry, on the other hand, was desperate to talk to Jasper about what happened. He felt guilty for snapping at him, and there was something he felt they really needed to discuss. Try as he might, he couldn’t get Jasper alone long enough to ask him if they could talk.

Henry was currently sitting down in the Man Cave with Charlotte, scrolling through his phone, when Ray emerged from behind the sliding door shaped like a gear.

“Does someone wanna explain to me why Jasper hasn’t been to work in three weeks or why he just quit?!” Ray demanded as sat down across from Henry on the rotating couch. Henry sat up a little as he put his phone down.

“He what?!” Charlotte and Henry both exclaimed simultaneously.

“He just quit. What’d you do?” Ray shot at Henry, an accusatory look on his face.

“What makes you think I did anything?!” Henry responded defensively.

“Did you?!”

“Yeah,” Henry said slowly.

“So what happened?” Ray questioned.

“We had a bit of a….falling out,” Henry explained. Ray just raised his eyebrows.

.“That must’ve been some fallout. I don’t think you guys have ever gone 48 hours without talking to each other.” Henry glanced down at the table for a moment.

“We haven’t,” he stated softly. Ray shifted in his seat as he put his elbow up on the table and pointed at Henry.

“Well then, you need to fix this. He’s not allowed to quit.” A sly smile spread across Henry and Charlotte’s faces.

“Why are you making such a big fuss out of this? Do you miss him?” Henry teased. Ray frowned.  
“No!” he shot back defensively. Henry and Charlotte’s playful grins got a little bigger.

“You do!” Charlotte said jokingly.

“Do not!! It was just nice having an employee around that actually listened to what I said,” Ray declared.

“Just admit it. Ray, you miss him. You liked having him on the team,” Henry said.

“I did not, and if you either of you say anything, I’ll deny it!” he bellowed. Henry and Charlotte exchanged playful looks before Henry’s face went solemn again. Charlotte’s smiled faded as she looked at Henry, concerned now.

“What are you gonna do?” she asked. Henry sighed heavily as he ran his hands through his hair.

“I don’t know. I can’t get him to stay in a room with me long enough to talk to him,” Henry said as he leaned forward with his elbows up on the table. The three of them sat in silence for a moment.

“Wait! I have an idea!” Henry exclaimed suddenly. Charlotte and Ray jumped a little at his sudden outburst. “It’s gonna require a huge favor from you, though,” Henry said as he looked over at Ray.

“Why does that not surprise me?” Ray responded sarcastically. “Can’t you guys leave me out of your teen angst bullshit?” Henry ignored his scathing comment.

“How would you feel about hosting a New Year’s Eve party?”  

“With who?” Ray questioned.

“It doesn’t matter just as long as Jasper’s there.” Ray frowned.

“And how do you propose I get him here? He just quit so it’s not like I can threaten to fire him or anything.” Henry bit his lower lip.

“Well, see, that’s where the huge favor comes in,” he said. Ray raised his eyebrows a little.

“So, canceling my New Year’s plans to host a party for a group of teenagers  _isn’t_  the huge favor?” Henry grimaced as he sucked the air in through his teeth.

“No,” he said softly. Ray rolled his eyes as he sighed.

“So, what is it?” he asked.

“I need you to call Jasper and tell him that you want him back. That you think he’s a valuable member of the team.” Ray’s face went taut.

“Absolutely not,” he stated firmly. A pleading look spread across Henry’s face.

“Please, Ray! I can’t get him to talk to me as-is. His idolization of you is the only thing that’s stronger than his hatred for me right now. It’s the only thing that will guarantee he’ll come.” Ray’s eyes bore into Henry, signaling to him that he still wasn’t convinced. “Please, Ray. I won’t ask you for anything ever again.” Ray exhaled sharply.

“I know that’s a lie, buuuuuuut I’ll do it anyway,” he said begrudgingly. Henry’s lips curved into a wide smile.

“Thank you, Ray!” he proclaimed as she shot up and threw his arms around Ray. Ray waved his hand dismissively as he tried to shake him off.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. But, you owe me!”

* * *

It took a lot of convincing on Ray’s part, but he finally convinced Jasper to come to his New Year’s Eve get together in the Man Cave. Jasper was presently standing outside Junk n’ Stuff, steeling himself to go inside. There was a party going on around him, as downtown Swellview always held a block party on New Year’s Eve, and Junk n’ Stuff happened to be located on the street where most of the action happened.

He had made sure he had arrived plenty late in the hopes that he could sneak in and blend into the crowd before Henry could get a hold of him. Jasper took another deep breath before he stepped inside. To his dismay, Henry was waiting for him inside, leaning up against the counter. Jasper exhaled sharply as he turned back around.

“Jasper, wait!” Henry called out. Jasper stopped without turning around. “Please, just talk to me,” Henry pleaded. Jasper wheeled around slowly.

“Henry, I really don’t _want_  to talk about it. Actually, I’d really like to forget it. Can we just do that?” Henry’s lips turned down slightly.

“You might want to forget it, but I don’t. I really need to talk to you about it. You need to understand why I reacted the way I did. Can you please just give me a few minutes?” Jasper locked eyes with Henry and sighed. Henry was giving him those soft puppy dog eyes again, and no matter how upset Jasper was, he could never resist Henry’s puppy dog eyes. He jammed his hands into his jacket pockets as he spoke.

“Okay, fine. Five minutes.” Henry smiled.

“Thank you,” he breathed. They stood in silence for a moment, with Henry watching Jasper and Jasper glancing down at the floor.

Meanwhile, down in the Man Cave, Ray and Schwoz were presently watching New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on TV while Charlotte was spying on Henry in Junk n’ Stuff.

“Oh, Jasper’s here! Turn that down!” Charlotte said as she scrambled to turn up the volume for the security camera in Junk n’ Stuff. Schwoz quickly turned down the TV while Ray jumped over the back of the couch and leaned over the back of Charlotte’s chair, with his hands resting on the desk in front of him, to see what was happening.

“What happened, what did he say? Wait, why do I care?” Ray asked no in particular as he frowned. “I gotta get some adult friends,” he mumbled as he continued to watch the monitor. Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Do you really think you should be spying like this?” he asked.

“You once installed a security camera in Henry’s bedroom because you thought he was lying about being sick, so do you really think you should be the one to preach to me about spying?” Ray’s mouth fell open a little as he looked at her, unsure of how to respond. He could hear Schwoz giggling behind him, and he shot him a death glare.

“Carry on,” he said finally.

“Thank you. Now shhh!” Charlotte replied. Ray furrowed his eyebrows and frowned at her shushing him but he kept his mouth shut.  

Back up in Junk n’ Stuff, Henry and Jasper were still standing in silence, while Henry carefully thought out what he was gonna say. The only sound that could be heard was the thumping of the party outside and the muffled yells of the party goers.

“Well,” Jasper said, “You wanted to talk. So talk.” Henry blew air out of his cheeks as he took a couple of steps towards Jasper.

“Jasper…” he started, “I don’t know how to say this…” Jasper’s heart sank. He knew what those words meant. Jasper held up a hand to stop him.

“Just stop, okay? I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t need you to say it. It’s fine! I’m sorry for saying what I said and for my poor timing. I just need a little time to get over this and then I’ll come back,” Jasper said as he turned to leave again. Henry took a step forward as he reached his hand out, even though he was too far away from Jasper to grab him.

“No, you don’t! You don’t know what I’m gonna say at all. Just hear me out!” Jasper turned back around. He sighed heavily as he watched Henry for a moment. He really didn’t want to go through this next part, but Henry was persistent, and Jasper knew at this point there would be no escaping it.

“Okay,” he said, bracing himself for the inevitable heartbreak and rejection. Henry stood in silence again for a moment.

“You know, I’ve had my share of girlfriends in the past,” he started slowly. Jasper scoffed.

 _Great. Glad I stuck around for this_ , he thought.

“But there was never really a point where I felt like I was in love with them. The closest I came was with Bianca, but even then I couldn’t really say it,” Henry continued. “That was until Luna came along.”

“Henry, I really don’t-“ Jasper began, but Henry cut him off.

“Let me finish,” he stated. Jasper reluctantly nodded, signaling for him to continue.

“So, anyway, I never really thought I was in love until Luna. She’s pretty, she’s smart….”

Jasper sighed loudly.

“Henry,” he started. Henry held up a hand to stop him. Jasper threw his head back in annoyance before facing Henry again. “At no point when I was with any of my other girlfriends did I ever have the thought ‘I can’t live without you.’ Like, you know when two people are really in love they kinda just…can’t imagine not being with the other person? I never really felt that.” Jasper’s forehead creased as he frowned.

 _Why is he telling me this?_  he thought.

“But you feel that way with Luna?” Jasper asked quizzically.  Henry paused for a minute.

“No,” he answered simply. “Actually, Luna and I broke up.” Jasper felt his heart speed up a little as he was physically taken aback by Henry’s revelation.

“You did?” Jasper inquired. “But, I thought you were in love with her?” Henry pursed his lips to one side as he looked down at his feet for a moment before meeting Jasper’s gaze again.

“I thought I did. But, after you told me what you told me, I started thinking about things. I started thinking about you and me…and me and Luna. I tried to think about what it was that I loved about her, but all the reasons I was coming up with were superficial. I loved that she rode a motorcycle and I thought her dimples were cute but I couldn’t really come up with any really quality reasons for being in love with her. I figured out it was more infatuation than anything. Actually, after I kinda stopped looking at her with that infatuation, I realized we really didn’t have a lot of things in common. We had a long talk, and she told me she didn’t really think she was in love with me either. We like spending time together, and we like each other, but there is no real substance there. Nothing to build a long-term relationship on outside of infatuation. We kinda realized we’re better off as friends. But, I’m getting off track, that isn’t my point.”

“So, what is?” Jasper asked as he tilted his head to one side.

“After you told me what you told me, I started to reevaluate our relationship. I started to really think about how I felt about it and about you.”  
  


“Just like Derek said,” Jasper mumbled to himself.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, continue.”  

“Well, like I was saying earlier, I figured out that there was never a point with any of my girlfriends, even Luna, where I thought that I couldn’t live without them. But, I figured out there _is_  one person that I can’t live without.” Jasper felt butterflies start swarming in his stomach and he felt like his heart was gonna beat out of his chest.

_Was Henry really saying what he thought he was saying? Surely not?_

Henry took a few steps closer to Jasper.

“These past few weeks without you have been some of the worst of my life,” Henry continued. “I guess since we’re best friends, I just never imagined you wouldn’t be around. But, it’s more than that. You’re the first person I think to tell when I get good news and you’re the person I think about calling when it’s 2 am and the depression hits.” Jasper continued to watch Henry as he swallowed hard. “These past few weeks have made me realize how much I value our time together and how much I value having you around. I missed sharing my jacket with you when it got cold, and I missed having you waiting for me on Friday night, and I hated not being able to watch Saturday morning cartoons with you while we ate our favorite cereal while huddling under a blanket on the couch. I hate that when I get back from a mission with Ray, you aren’t there to ask me how it went. I missed seeing your smile and hearing your laugh. I just missed  _you_.” Jasper’s breath hitched in his throat.

“Okay,” he said slowly, his mind reeling. He was pretty sure he was either gonna vomit or pass out.

Henry started to take a few steps towards Jasper.

“You know, I told you I couldn’t really come up with any quality reasons for loving Luna, so then I started thinking about all the qualities that I like about you. I like your honesty, and I like your compassion. I like how passionate you get about buckets. And the way your whole face will light up when you get excited. I like that you’re kind to everyone you meet. I like how your loyal almost to a fault, and you’ll do anything for anyone. I like your sense of humor and how you can make me laugh no matter what. I like when we’re driving in the car and your favorite song comes on and you’ll just start belting out the lyrics. And I really love how you're just so unapologetically you.” Jasper swallowed hard as he watched Henry slowly move closer to him.

“What are you saying, Henry?” Jasper asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“I think you know what I’m saying,” Henry replied, a coy smile on his face. Jasper felt his hands start to shake a little.

_10!_

_9!_   

Jasper and Henry heard the party goers outside begin their countdown to midnight. Henry smiled a little as he continued to close the gap between him and Jasper.

“I don’t; I mean? Are you just saying we’re best friends?” Henry chuckled a little.

_5!_

_4!_

“Most of all, I love how utterly clueless you can be sometimes,” Henry said.

Jasper’s breath hitched as Henry was only inches from him now. Henry gently took Jasper’s face in his hands.

“Love?” Jasper breathed.

_1!_

Before Jasper knew what was happening, Henry’s lips were on his and he suddenly understood why everyone described kissing someone you love as feeling like fireworks were going off in your head. Jasper felt his knees get a little weak as he immediately kissed Henry backed. Jasper was sure he had never felt happier or more content in that moment. He was almost afraid he was gonna wake up and find out it had all been a dream. Henry pulled away and smiled at Jasper without moving his hands. Jasper grabbed onto Henry’s wrists as he tried to compose himself, still reeling a little from the kiss.

“Does that answer your question?” Henry asked.

“I don’t remember the question,” Jasper said breathlessly and Henry couldn’t help but laugh. Jasper locked eyes with Henry for a minute as he just took in the moment. He had dreamed about this moment a thousand times, but it still ended up being better than he could’ve ever imagined. After a second, he threw his arms around Henry’s neck and pulled him into a kiss once again.

Down in the Man Cave, Charlotte was still spying Henry and Jasper, and Charlotte immediately started hitting Ray on the arm and squealing when Henry kissed Jasper. Ray slapped her hand away as he turned around.

“I don’t need to see this, tell me when it’s over,” he said. After a minute, he peeked at the screen again. “Are they done yet?” Ray asked, but when he looked at the monitor he answered his own question. He slammed his hand down on the intercom for the store above them.

“Okay, guys, that’s enough, this is a family establishment and you’re at work! Be professional!” Ray declared into the microphone. Jasper and Henry pulled apart and started laughing.

“Sorry, Ray,” Henry said in between chuckles. Suddenly, he whirled around to face the camera that went to the Man Cave. “Wait are you guys spying on us?!” Charlotte and Ray exchanged worried looks.

“Uhhhhhh……no,” Ray answered. Jasper and Henry exchanged amused looks as they started laughing again. Henry leaned in to kiss Jasper again, but they were interrupted by Ray over the intercom.

“I swear to God, guys, I  _will_  get out the hose!” Henry and Jasper looked at each other and chuckled. Henry held out his hand for Jasper to take.

“C’mon, let’s go join the party,” he said, his brown eyes beaming at Jasper. Jasper took his hand and smiled as he started walking with Henry. He closed the distance between the two of them as he leaned his head on Henry’s shoulder. Henry looked over at him for a second and grinned. He was sure he had never felt happier than he did right then.

“So, can I ask you something?” Jasper asked as they reached the elevator.

“Of course, anything,” Henry answered.

“When you were saying you couldn’t live without me, you mentioned that since we’re best friends you never really imagined that I wouldn’t be around. So, do you feel the same way about Charlotte? I mean, do you also think you couldn’t live without her?” Henry stared straight ahead for a moment while he thought it over.

“Well, yeah. But, not because I have romantic feelings for her or I think I’m in love with her or anything. I just know, if she were to ever leave either one of us, there’s like, a 90% chance we’d both die,” Henry answered. Jasper chortled.

“You’re right, we really can’t live without her,” Jasper said.

“We really can’t,” Henry said as he pushed the elevator button to go down to the Man Cave. Charlotte had still been listening downstairs.

“That’s right you can’t live without me, and don’t you forget it!” she yelled at the monitor, even though she knew the intercom was off and neither of them could hear her.

“Hey, Jasper?” Henry asked.

“Hmmm?” Jasper hummed, sounding dreamy and content, as he leaned his head on Henry’s shoulder once again.

“I think I’m in love with you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so two things: 1) I now understand why the writers are bad at continuity because apparently, I’m bad at it too alsdkflksd. I didn’t realize until my final read through that I made the blowout between Henry and Jasper at a Christmas party and their reconciliation at New Years, but I said there were a few weeks in between even though there isn’t actually a few weeks in between Christmas and New Year’s so, lets just pretend like the Hart’s family Christmas party is held a couple of weeks before Christmas alsdkfksd. 2.) I’m too lazy to write a epilogue at this point, but I imagine after Henry and Jasper get down into the Man Cave, Ray sits them down and is like “Okay, we need to set some ground rules. Rule number 1: When you’re at work you gotta be at least five feet apart at all times” and Jasper and Henry are trying to protest and Ray’s just like “YOU HEARD ME. FIVE FEET” (but Henry and Jasp eventually wear him down to where he relinquishes that rule alsdkf) “Rule number 2: If I ever, ever, EVER, come down here and catch you two making out, I *will* gouge out my own eyes.” sldkfjsldkflksdfkl

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I didn’t realize until after I was legit proofreading it just now before I posted it that I forgot to include why Henry didn’t know Luna in the record store even though they go to the same school, and I’m so exhausted I don’t wanna try to shoehorn a random scene in there just to explain it away so I’ll just say it here sldkfskdf Luna just moved to town so she’s new and Henry just hadn’t encountered her in school yet.


End file.
